French Open 2024: Alcohol banned from stands after players complain about crowds

The French Open has banned the consumption of alcohol in the stands following David Goffin's accusation that he was spat at by a fan. Goffin, the unseeded Belgian, was up against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France in his first-round clash on Court 14. Notably, the home fans were biassed and would not stop cheering to support their favourite player. 

Goffin later stated that he had been struck by chewing gum during his five-set triumph on Court 14 against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, with the Belgian being mocked by a large portion of the home crowd.

Meanwhile, as Goffin won the match, the French crowd even booed him, and in reply, he cupped his ear despite having the magnificent win to his name. However, it has been reported that although drinking is not allowed in the stands at Roland-Garros, fans are still permitted to consume alcohol on the concourse and in the areas around the courts. 

"Clearly, it goes too far, it's total disrespect. It's really too much. It's becoming football, soon there will be smoke bombs, hooligans and there will be fights in the stands. It's starting to become ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere. Someone spat out their chewing gum at me. It was getting complicated. That's why I wanted to stay calm. If I started to get angry about it, it could have destabilised me," said Goffin.

The umpires are really going to be even more strict to further respect the players: Amelie Mauresmo

The tournament director, Amelie Mauresmo, stated that umpires would be encouraged to be more strict with fans during matches and that safety would be enhanced for the players.

“The umpires are really going to be even more strict to further respect the players and respect the game. This is something that we’re not going to tolerate, to overstep these two things. That’s for sure. So umpires have quite an important role in this matter. And definitely, in terms of security, we’re going to try to see which people are maybe making [trouble]," Mauresmo said.